As I was trying to decide what to use as a basis for my next blog, the thought hit me. How do autistic children react to crowds? Do they just go into their own trance and tune out everything and everyone? Do they overreact because of the confusing stimulation to all their senses? Do autistic children react differently based on their individuality?
I read a couple of articles on the subject, but so far I haven't really gotten any answers to these particular questions. What I did find was that autistic children avoid eye contact. Even familiar faces seem to be a threat to the autistic child. What comes to mind now is that this must be torture for the parents of the child. It means that especially in crowds, Mom must be extra aware of her child at all times because if the child were to wander off, it could be even more disastrous than for a child without the condition. Does the child even attempt to find the mother? How is that possible if the child avoids eye contact? If the mother calls for the child, is the child able to acknowledge?
Once when my child was lost in a Kmart store, I was frantic. She was playing peek-a-boo with me around a jewelry display. I got distracted for seconds, and she was gone. It's as though she were purposely looking for just the right moment to disappear from Mom's watch. Thankfully no harm was done. What was even more shocking was how I found her. She was wandering back from the outside as I was walking to the front of the store to go outside. I can't explain th horror I felt at that moment of what "could have been". My daughter was about a year and a half at the time. Please don't judge.
So, now that I have thought about this issue of separation and crowds, my heart goes out to mothers of autistic children. I sympathize. I feel your pain. If you can shed some light on the questions I have that have not been answered, please enlighten me. There are those of us who do not have autistic children and need and want to understand you better.
